Tour de France 2009 Thread

[magnus_h]

http://www.teamradioshack.com/getready/

Bringing Levi et al over there for next year. Latest rumour is Cadel Evans might go there too (or maybe that was just wishful thinking by the Australian press).

 

[Piobaire]

Thanks for the link magnus.

Lance looked good on the climb today, and that's a climb he hates.

 

[Piobaire]

Just read Bruyneel is leaving Astana and expected to go to Team RS with Lance. Could actually be a real team next year.

 

[King Francis]

Phenomenal performances from the top three. Jesus, what a climb. Armstrong is still a beast.

 

[Merckx]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Just read Bruyneel is leaving Astana and expected to go to Team RS with Lance. Could actually be a real team next year.

Look for them to sign some young talent as well. I was thinking they might sign Taylor Phinney (son of Davis Phinney), but I looked and he is only 19. He is currently racing for Armstrong's U23 team Trek-Livestrong. Phinney is a phenomenal talent, a junior world champion.

 

[lakewolf]

I haven't seen this thread before, ( was too busy and coming only to DT recently )

I'm glad to see there are other fellow cyclists on the forum

Piobare, didn't know you were into cycling.

Merckx, RedLantern, King Francis, where do you ride ?

 

[Merckx]

Mainly in Texas, and then Arkansas and Wisconsin.

 

[RedLantern]

I'm more of a fan on the tour than a rider. I ride some in Tennessee when I'm at school. Home in Seattle for the summer and don't have my bike here :/ but I'll be glad to be around more riders when I move home!

 

[adfan]

Originally Posted by lakewolf

I haven't seen this thread before, ( was too busy and coming only to DT recently )

I'm glad to see there are other fellow cyclists on the forum

Piobare, didn't know you were into cycling.

Merckx, RedLantern, King Francis, where do you ride ?

Hi,

I just bumped into this thread...Im also glad to see other fellow cyclists. I used to ride alot in Berkeley and in the Oakland hills in the san Francisco Bay Area - and Mt Diablo.

I still have my old Bottechia with old Campy friction (pre-index or click shifting) and 20 speed bicycles were a dream.

Best regards

 

[Piobaire]

I'm not riding much anymore, and haven't in several years. I'll get back into it in a few more years. In the 1990s, during the cycling season, I'd do 250-350 miles per week. The biggest ride I've ever done, and I did it a few years, was the Adrian, Michigan version of the Ididaride. Four centuries in four days.

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

I used to race against Lance in the late 80s and early 90s in Texas. Although he was quite good in the junior and Cat 1-3 racing, no one back then would have dreamed that he would have done what he has done. He was kind of a dick, but it was great training to try and stay on his wheel for as long as possible. Last time I saw him was post cancer treatment shopping at Central Market in Austin. I thought maybe he would get back into the pro peloton for a few years and have minor success, instead he won the Tour seven years running.

Also, I think my high school girlfriend is responsible for the RadioShack end of the team deal.

 

[Merckx]

An article about Taylor Phinney, I guess I wasn't too far off the mark.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/phin...-cascade-crash

Youngster doesn't rule out racing with Lance's RadioShack

Despite a severe crash in the Cascade Classic, Trek-Livestrong's Taylor Phinney believes he can race again this season and hasn't ruled out racing with Lance Armstrong's new team, RadioShack, in the future.

Phinney crashed on stage four of the Cascade Classic on Friday and suffered severe concussion. He spent a night in hospital and will face up to four weeks off the bike.

"I don't remember anything about the fall," he said. "I can recall breakfast and the first part of the race, which started on a climb. I was holding my position at the front with Bjorn [Selander] on my wheel and after that there's no recollection in my mind as to what happened."

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the emergency room at the hospital three or four hours later. One of my teammates said he saw me flying through the air."

Phinney who spent the night on an intravenous drip to help his recovery has crashed heavily three times this year, hitting his head and splitting his helmet on all of those occasions. "It's probably the worst fall I've had. I've never had to spend a night in hospital after a crash."

His next scheduled race is the Tour of Utah, which was part of his programme building up to a possible crack at the world championships in October. However a start for Phinney in Utah will depend on the speed of his recovery.

"The doctors told me not to race for another four weeks, but Utah is in three. Of course I'll take all necessary precautions but I'm not going to let it ruin the rest of my season," Phinney added.

If ruled out of the race Phinney's season will have its first major hitch. He won the world pursuit title this spring and then captured victory in the under 23 Paris-Roubaix. "I've had a good season so far, but if it does ruin it I can console myself with what I've done this year."

Phinney signed for Trek-Livestrong last September and has two more years on his contract. The team, which is owned by Lance Armstrong, is a hotbed for under 23 talent, with riders from the US, Australia and Japan amongst its roster.

With Armstrong announcing his new team for 2010, RadioShack, at the Tour de France on Thursday, links with an immediate move to the pro ranks for Phinney have begun to surface. Both Armstrong and Phinney have trained together several times and it's no secret that Armstrong's influence was a major factor in recruiting Phinney to Trek-Livestrong.

However Phinney doesn't know whether his future lies with RadioShack. "I really don't know, as I've not talked about it with him. I've signed with Livestrong for the next two years but I'm sure there will be some possibilities in the future. But I only found out about RadioShack yesterday. They are definitely a random sponsor but it's great that they are sponsoring a team. They're a big company and that's cool for cycling."

 

[Pilot]

Phinney is a beast, he did get his butt handed to him at Beijing in the Individual Pursuit. Kid's a great track cyclist for his age though and apparently a solid road cyclist winning the Roubaix.


I ride in Arkansas, mostly central AR in Little Rock but also down in south arkansas where i go to school. lots of rolling hills.

 

[Merckx]

Originally Posted by Stylish Pilot

Phinney is a beast, he did get his butt handed to him at Beijing in the Individual Pursuit. Kid's a great track cyclist for his age though and apparently a solid road cyclist winning the Roubaix.


I ride in Arkansas, mostly central AR in Little Rock but also down in south arkansas where i go to school. lots of rolling hills.

I've been riding in Northern Arkansas near Hardy for the past 6 months. It's in the foothills of the Ozarks, a lot of good hill climbing. I in the process of moving back to Austin.

 

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Merckx

I've been riding in Northern Arkansas near Hardy for the past 6 months. It's in the foothills of the Ozarks, a lot of good hill climbing. I in the process of moving back to Austin.

Hardy is a little bit north of Ft. Smith right? I'm fixing to start riding 5 days a week again, been too busy with work and flying this summer.